Islam and the Freedom of Conscience — Page 37
~ 37 ~ his visit to Ta ’if children threw stones at him, hurled abuse at him. Their leaders kept on inciting them. His injuries made him bleed profusely from head, and his shoes were filled with blood. Then there is the incident of Sha‘b-e-Ab i Ta lib when he, his family and his followers were held under siege for many years. They had nothing to eat or drink, and children starved. A Companion felt something soft under his feet at night which he picked up and put in his mouth, imagining it to be food. Such was their desperation due to hunger. Eventually, compelled by these circumstances, the migration to Med i na took place; the enemy did not leave him alone even in Med i na and invaded the town. They tried to incite the Jews of Med i na against him. Under the circumstances, which I have just briefly described, if war ensues and the victim has a chance for reprisal, an attempt is made to requite oppression with oppression. It is said that all is fair in war. However, our Prophet sa established high standards of compassion and mercy even in these situations. It had been a very short time that they had left the relentless persecution of Mecca, the memories of which were still raw; the Holy Prophet sa was mindful of the pain of his adherents more than his own pain, yet he did not breach the Islamic rules and regulations. He did not contravene his inherent high morals that constituted his teachings. You may notice the extent to which certain Western